Edward Martin was born at Weston-super-Mare on 21 September 1883 where his father and grandfather were general practitioners. He was educated at St Peter's Preparatory School, Weston, and then at Charterhouse before ill health necessitated a prolonged stay in Switzerland. In 1903 he returned to Engl

Edward Leslie Martyn Lobb, known to his friends as John, was educated at Guy's Hospital Medical School and qualified in 1908 with the Conjoint Board Diploma and the MB BS of the University of London. He proceeded to the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1910, and the MS in 1911. In the

Richard Lionel Spittel was born on 9 December 1881 in Tangalle, a town on the south coast of Ceylon, where his father Dr F G Spittel was stationed at that time as Government Medical Officer. He entered the Ceylon Medical College at the turn of the century, and qualified LMS Ceylon in 1905. He entere